Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 July 2016
An aspect of structural design which is becoming increasingly more important is the behaviour of a structure when it is subjected to random pressure loading. Random pressure fields can be encountered in several different ways, two of the principal sources of such fields being the noise emitted by a jet, and the fluctuating pressures in a turbulent boundary layer. Many jet-propelled aircraft have suffered secondary structure fatigue failures in those parts of their structures near to the jet stream, and it is not unlikely that certain failures of panelling in engine intakes have arisen because of vibrations set up by the turbulent pressure fluctuations in the boundary layers at the walls.